Electric attachment for keyboards of autoplayers.



J O HBRBMANN ELECTRIC ATTACHMENT FOB KBYBOARDS 0F AUTOPLAYERS.

APPLICATION FILED my 1 1912. 1 ,0? 3,044 Patented Sept. 9, 1913..

2. SHEETSSHEET 1.

. OSWfllf/WVENTOR WITNESSES.

ATTORN EY contact is connected 11 OSCAR HERRMANN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC ATTACHMENT FOR KEYBOARDS OF AUTOPLAYERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patent 1 a Sept. e, 1913.

Application filed May 13, 1912. Serial No. 696,961.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, OSCAR HERRMANN, a citizen of the United Qtates, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Electric Attachment for Key boards of Autoplayers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in electric attachments for keyboards of auto-players and more particularly for auto pianos whether of the self contained type or of any other type, and its object 1s to provide a device whereby other sounds may be reduced than those due to the action of t e strings of the piano to which the attachment is applied.

F or convenience of description it will he assumed that the attachment is applied to the keyboard of a self playing piano and to this end it comprises a support or casin designed to be mounted over the keyboar in such manner that pins provided with electric contacts and carried by the casing will rest upon the keys of the keyboard. Each in normally open electric circuit which a so includes a sound producing device capable of actuation by electric currents. Such sound producing devices are preferably electric bells properly tuned, so that when the keys move for the production of music by the piano such music is accompanied by appropriate bell tones, thus adding materially to the pleasing effect of the instrument.

than bells may be employed, but for convenience of description it will be considered that the electrically actuated devices are electric bells with the understanding that the term is to be interpreted as including other appropriate devices.

The invention will be best understood r'rom a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with Of course, other elec trically actuated sound reproducing devices no material departure from the salient features of the invention.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation of so much of the'keyboard of a selfplaying instrument as is necessary for the understanding of the present invention with the attachment applied. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the attachment shown in Fig. 1 with the keyboard shown in elevation. Fig. 3 is across section of the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2 but drawn to a larger scale and indicating a few bells as illustrative of the electrically actuated devices forming a part of the attachment.

Referring to the drawings there. is shown a keyboard provided with the usual white keys 1 and black keys 2, and this keyboard may be taken as typical of any suitable keyboard for the purpose, since the keyboard and its details do not enter into the present v invention. There is also provided a casing 3 which in the present instance is of substantially the length of the keyboard and may be of rectangular cross section, as indicated, or of any other suitable shape. At the ends of the casing 8 are projecting portions 4 adapted tot-uprights 5 which may be secured to the ends of the keyboard frame, and these uprights 5 .have longitudinal slots 6 whereby through the use of suitable fastening devices 7 extending through the projections 4 and the slots 6 the casing 3 may be djusted at proper height with relation to the keyboard.

WVithin the casing 3 is a longitudinal partition 8 at an appropriate distance above the bottom of the casing, which bottom is indiouted at 9. The partition 8 and bottom 9 are provided with an appropriate number of matching passages 11, 12, respectively, for pins of which there are shown two series with the individual pins numbered 13 and 14, respectively. These pins are upright and between the partition 8 and bottom 9 are each provided with an enlargement l5 near the bottom 9, and between its enlargement 15 and the partition 8 the pin is surrounded bv a spring 16 tending to project the pin insulating material and the plate 17 is made of metal, so as to be conducting, while the pins 13 and 14, as well as the enlargements 15, are also of metal to be conducting, wherefore when the enlargement 15 enters the opening 18 in the plate 17 good electrical contact is thereby established, the enlargement 15 and passage 18 being shaped into conformity one with the other for such purpose.

The pins 13 are so disposed as to'engage the tops of the keys 1, while the pins 14L are so disposed as to engage the tops of the keys 2, and the springs 16 are of such strength that they will yield sufficiently to permitthe enlargements 15. to move away suitable type, while the other side of each bell is connected to a common conductor 21 in turn connected to one side of a battery 22,

or other suitable source of electric energy.

The other side of the battery is connected by a conductor 23 to the plate 17. However, whether the exact arrangement described for the electric circuits be followed or not,

the. circuits are so disposed that whenever an enlargement- 15' is brought into contact with the plate 17 by the movement of a re spectlve pin 13 or 14, an electric circuit is established from the battery or other source 22 to the plate 17, through pin 13 or 14, conductor 19 connected to said pin, the particular bell to which the conductor under considerationis connected, and from thence by way of the con ductor QO back to the bat,

tery, wherefore so long as the key controlling the pin under consideration is depressed the bell will sound.

The bells 20 are tuned in accordancewith the keys to which they are connected, so that when the instrument is being played not only will the usual strings of the in-' strument emit sounds in accordance with the composition being rendered, but the bells will also emit corresponding sounds having bell tones, thus enhancing the pleasing efiect produced upon thelistener. Of course, the bells may be of the single stroke or trembler type as the manufacturer may desire, but in each instance they, are electric bells or '1 other sound-producing devices which require electro-magnets.

' Since the exposed surface of. each key 1 is usually covered by some hard substance,

such as bone or ivory, that end of each pin. 13 which engages a key 1 will engage it at 65.

the hard surface and ,so -needsno particular preparation, although it may be slightly rounded. However, the keys 2 usually have no such protection and consequently it is preferred to introduce a small wear plate 24 between the active end of a pin 14: and 'a corresponding key 2.

The casing 3 is usually made of sutficient' internal size between the pins 14 and the back of the casing to accommodate all the conductors 19, which may be gathered to- 7 gether in the form of a cable 25"leading through the top or other portion of the casing near one end thereof and carried therefrom to the place where the bells 20 are disposed, which bells may be readily located 8c at any convenient point on or in the casing of the main instrument; or at some place removed therefrom.

When it is not desired to have the bell accompanimenta the casing 3 with the parts 35 carried thereby may be readily removed I from the key board, or simply raised sufiiciently to have the pins 13 and 14 clear the keys. In such case a switch 26 located at any convenient point in, the power cir- 9o cuit for the bells may be open, and the fact that the springs 16 have caused the enlargements 15 to engage plate 17 will have no effect upon the bells. The bells are connected up in the circuit in multiple so'that any number of the bells may sound at one time in accordance with the keys which may be actively moved at a time.

What is claimed is z- .,1. An attachment for the keyboards, of 10 keyed musical instruments comprising a suitable number of electrically responsive sound-producing means tuned to correspond to tones represented by respective keys of the instrument, a casing, a conducting strip 10 therein provided with passages throuqligit, pins traversing the passages tl1roug1"the strip andprojecting below 'the ca ingxand eachof a length to engage a respe tive key of the keyboard, each pin being provided 11 with an enlargement adapted to the passage in the conducting strip through which the pin extends to make contact with said strip,

and means for, electrically connecting the strip to all the electrically responsive sound 1 produolng means, and each pm to a respec-- tive one of said sound producing means,

.2. An attachment for keyboards of autoplayers comprising a suitable number I of electrically responsive sound-producing 1; means tuned to correspond to tones represented byrespective keys of the instrument,

a casing provided with means for supporting it above the keyboard, said casing having a bottom member and a longitudinal parti- 12 1 tion above and spaced from the bottom member, with matching holes through the bottom member and partition, an electrioallyconducting plate on the bottom-member having passages therethrough of greater size than 1:

and matching the holes through the bottom" member, pins extending through the matching holes in the bottom member and partition and each of a length to reach a respective key of the keyboard, an enlargement on each pin shaped to engage in a respectii e passage in the conducting plate and make electrical contact therewith, a spring around each pin between the enlargement and the partition, and electric-conductors connecting, the conducting'plate to all the sound producing means and each pin to a respective sound producing means.

3. An attachment for keyboards of autoplayers comprising a suitable number of elec trically responsive sound producing means tuned to correspond to tones represented by respective keys of the instrument, a casing provided with means for supporting it above the keyboard, said casing having a bottom member and a longitudinal partition above and spaced from the bottom member, with matching holes through the bottom member and partition, an electrically conducting plate on the bottom member having passages tl'icrethrough of greater size than and matching the holes through the bottom member, pins extending through the matchpassage in the conducting plate and make electrical contact therewith, a spring around each in between the enlargement and the partition, and electric conductors connecting the conducting plate to all the sound-producing means and each pin to a respective sound-producing means, the pins in the casing being arranged in two rows at respectively different distances from the front of the casing, the pins of one row being of greater length than those of the other to cause the pins to engage the white and black keys of an instrument provided with such a keyboard.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

OSCAR HERRMANN.

Witnesses:

Gsonce von STAMwrrz, O'rro Grimm BERGER. 

